King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Review

     Guy Ritchie is known for greatly directed action spectacles. With a filmography such as Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and the recent Sherlock Holmes movies, Ritchie has created his unique style incorporating witty dialogue and incredibly exciting fight scenes. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is the newest film from Ritchie with Charlie Hunnam helming the title character. While there are some exciting aspects within this film, there are some really big drawbacks that become more and more evident with the passing of time from when I watched it.

     The plot for this movie isn't the most original. It's ultimately a revenge story in which Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) must seek the throne of Camelot after he finds out that his uncle, Vortigern (Jude Law), had killed his parents and taken the throne for himself. Arthur is the true heir and must learn to wield the mighty sword of Excalibur if he hopes to become king. It's very much like every other King Arthur movie's story.

     My biggest question going in was how would Ritchie's style translate with the King Arthur story. When I think of epic, Arthurian movie, Guy Ritchie is the first name on my list. That being said, some of directorial choices translate very well with this story. The most evident one is the action choreography and visual effects. The release for this film was pushed back almost a year and the visual effects greatly paid off from it. There are segments where the effects are not necessarily perfect but for the most part it was greatly done, especially with how much this movie required.

     The pacing of this movie is incredibly quick which translates to a lot of action set pieces. The majority of them were highly entertaining and you could definitely tell as to why Warner Brothers hired Ritchie to direct this movie. They practically made the Excalibur it's own character and there is some very good swordplay. The biggest hinderance within the action though is the shaky cam. There is a particular scene (which was in the trailers so it's not a spoiler) where Arthur and his gang are running through the streets of a bustling city. There was lots of shaky cam and POV shots here that will most likely just be daunting for audiences. 

     Seeing as this film only made 15 million domestically on a estimated 175 million budget, I think it's a valid point to state Charlie Hunnam is not really the guy that should be leading a movie. While he was great in the very little I've scene of Sons of Anarchy, studios must be very cautious with the box office draw from this film and Pacific Rim. He's not a guy that puts butts in seats. You could have placed a ton of actors in this role that would be good for marketing and utilized much better then Hunnam on screen. The standout performance however goes to Jude Law as the evil king, Vortigern. There's a particular scene in which his character explains the intoxication of power that will really give audiences a great understanding of the mindset that he has.

     While there are entertaining aspects, this film ultimately falls flat with formulaic story beats and not a lot of positive take aways. This lost Warner Brothers A LOT of money so we won't be seeing any sequel probably ever again to this film. I can't recommend going to see this in theaters but it wouldn't be a bad cable watch on a Saturday afternoon.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 Review

     When Marvel released the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie back in 2014 it was quite the surprise. At the time nobody except the hardcore, comic fans really knew who these characters were. Fortunately for the studio, it was a huge hit and one of the most exciting Marvel movies to come out to this day. Audiences fell in love with the loudmouth, ragtag group. The marketing material for Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 seemed to carry the tone and flavor of the first film. I had the opportunity of seeing a double feature of the first and new film at my local theater here in College Station. My excitement for this movie was quite high. Although the sequel is not quite as fun and charming as the original, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 offers a lot of emotional depth and effectively adds on to these characters audiences fell in love with in 2014.

     Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 continues the story and exploration of Peter Quill's (Chris Pratt) parentage...And that's really it. One of my biggest complaint with this movie is the story. When try to describe it to someone who has no idea what it's about, it is very difficult to do so. The story is very simplistic and formulaic, however the movie is nonetheless entertaining because of the characters. This film is very character oriented and really explores the gang well, old and new members. The standouts are Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and Yondu (Michael Rooker). Baby Groot (Vin Diesel) will make audiences cry because of how adorable he is.

     Audiences are given a lot more backstory and depth with these guys. The story is very focused on Quill though and his relationship with his father Ego (Kurt Russell). The two have a great dynamic and director James Gunn does a wonderful job adding emotional depth to these characters. The stand out of this film is Dave Bautista as Drax. Drax was the surprise of the original due to the uncertainty with the casting of Bautista, however his comedic timing is really solid. Audiences will definitely be able to tell that they wanted to up the jokes with Drax and all the characters in general. Unfortunately, that hurts the film.
     The jokes are really witty and audiences will enjoy them but timing is a key aspect of comedy. There are a lot of jokes that are delivered and there did not seem to be any pacing. What I enjoy with the original and a lot of the other movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is they blend comedy really well. Guardians 2 doesn't seem to really give us any breathing room and goes a bit overboard at times.

     I don't necessarily know if the soundtrack for this one is better then the first but it is still an awesome mixtape. This one seems to have a more songwriting oriented tracklist where as the original was a little more guitar oriented. Both serve the and work in the story very well.
     This film is definitely more character oriented then story and while that's not necessarily a bad approach, the film's story could of greatly used some improvement. Thanks to some heartfelt performances and decent character development. Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 is a fun time in the theater.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

The Circle Review

     Technology being evil is a tale as old as time. Your Grandpa shouts it at you at every holiday dinner and audiences are fascinated with this idea of machines rising. Shows like Black Mirror and countless A.I. films have placed this phenomenon on-screen. The Circle is the newest film to explore this movement. With director James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now and Smashed) behind the camera and a talented cast such as Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, and John Boyega, this film has all the right pieces to be a magnificent social commentary on technology. Unfortunately this film is far from magnificent. Even with intriguing concepts, The Circle falls incredibly flat due to botched execution and horrendous pacing.
     Based on the novel by Dave Eggers, The Circle focuses on Mae Holland (Emma Watson) who receives a job at the prestigious tech company known as The Circle. Headed by Eamon Bailey (Tom Hanks) and Tom Stenton (Patton Oswalt), Mae will quickly rise up the company ranks but will also find out the company is not as clean as it makes itself out to be.

     I was greatly excited for this film initially. The talent behind it is great and the concept is very intriguing, however this was a very difficult film to watch. Anybody who knows me well knows that I absolutely adore Emma Watson. She is one of my favorite actresses working in the business and I have enjoyed her in every film she's been apart of. With The Circle, you could have inserted any actress into the role as Mae and they would have sufficed. The character is incredibly one dimensional and Watson's performance often feels wooden. She is the main focus of the story and audiences will not have an ounce of care for her upon seeing this movie. Although Tom Hanks is the most enjoyable character to watch, he is incredibly underutilized. There is only really one moment in the entire film where the character seems relatable and it does not come until the third act.

     The writing and pacing for this movie will be the biggest gripe among audiences. This story seems to be all build up and yet no climax. Audiences will see where the story is going from a mile away and while this isn't necessarily a bad aspect if the setup and execution is well done, however this film completely botches it in regards of execution and the characters are nowhere near likable. Eggers also wrote the screenplay for this and I've heard the book is phenomenal but the screenplay for this movie felt like it was written by a student taking a college course on Screenwriting 101. The runtime for The Circle is 110 minutes but it feels like a marathon.
     Besides the acting of Tom Hanks, this movie is not only disappointing but might be one of the worst films of 2017 so far. All the pieces were in place for this to be an incredibly thought provoking concept but because of the botched execution and under-developed characters, audience will most definitely forget about this movie.

Rating: 3.1 out of 10

   

Fate of the Furious Review

     Fate of the Furious is the newest and eighth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise and while these movies have certainly had their good and bad moments the recent films have been enjoyable, popcorn flicks. Since the soft-reboot with Fast Five the franchise has greatly embraced the silliness and over the top action that comes with the movies. Although Fate of the Furious is not the prime model as to what these films have brought to the table thus far, it is still an entertaining, popcorn flick that delivers in some areas.
     When Dom Torreto (Vin Diesel) mysterious goes rogue thanks to the influence of cyber terrorist, Cipher (Charlize Theron), the team must assemble to hunt down Dom and find out why he's exhibiting this bizarre behavior. Assembling a team is not as easy as it seems when former enemy Deckard (Jason Statham) joins the picture. They must do whatever they can to figure out a solution and hunt down Dom.

     The biggest question going forward for me was how would the team chemistry be without the late, great Paul Walker. While the old cast seemed to continue with the chemistry we saw from the previous films, it was not as easy for some of the newcomers. Scott Eastwood plays government agent under the alias of Little Nobody. Although I do not whole heartedly blame the Eastwood for the portrayal, his comedic timing did not seem to really fit like the rest of the group. This can not all be Eastwood's fault though because the script he was dishing from was not necessarily the best. I realize you're not expecting an Oscar caliber script with this franchise but these films have always had good humor. Unfortunately that was not a strong suit for the latest installment.
     The standout performances in this movie comes from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham. These have a fantastic dynamic and pretty much steal the show. All the rest of the performances are about what you would expect with this franchise but those two really go another level from everyone else.

     Much like the other films, the action pieces are directed quite well. F. Gray Gray brings in an unique direction with flying cars and grappling hooks which works a lot better in action then it sounds on paper. All the action scenes in this are very well crafted and will get a few laughs with audiences because of how much this movie embraces the cheesiness.
     This movie has a runtime of 2 hours and 16 minutes but the pacing is actually quite good. It never feels drawn out or repeated. Although this film's humor is not quite as good as previous and the team chemistry is 100% effective, the film is still a pleasant joy ride.

Rating: 6.1 out of 10

   

Life Review

     Life is the newest sci-fi, horror flick to hit theaters this weekend and going into it audiences were not quite sure what to expect. The trailers and marketing made the film seem very reminiscent of Alien but the cast that surrounds is what mostly had audiences interested. Although the story is very formulaic and the characters are not the most intriguing, Life thrives as a beautifully creepy, monster movie.

     Is this movie very much like Alien and multiple other sci-fi horror films? Yes, very much so. But I think what makes this film work well is the setup of tension, especially with the Mars alien that they refer to as Calvin. What makes Calvin so intriguing on-screen is the development that is presented. Calvin needs the food, oxygen, and water just like humans therefore it makes sense as to why he wants to eat everyone that is aboard the ship. The creature also doesn't necessarily look like a threatening at the beginning but develops into this terrifying monster throughout the film. There are truly creepy visuals in this movie and by the end of it, you're really hoping that this creature is killed... Like soon.
     The creepy visuals stem from the camerawork in this film. The cinematography is done by Seamus McGarvey and he does a wonderful job of making the audience feel isolated in this spaceship. Much like the original Alien, you truly feel the monster could be at any corner just lurking. There's also an opening shot in this movie that is awesome and really helps to display the setting.

     The characters in this movie don't necessarily bring anything new to the table. But the performances are not bad. The three stars that helm this movie are Jake Gyllenhaul, Ryan Reynolds, and Rebecca Ferguson. All of them do well in their roles but it's nothing to write home.
     The biggest problem this film has occurs within the final 15 minutes. The ending is one that audiences will be able to recognize from a mile away. Predictability within a movie isn't necessarily a bad thing but it needs to have a good setup and execution. This ending here feels very rushed and just seems like the writers decided to shake it up at the last minute.
     Life is an intriguing sci-fi, horror flick even though it does not necessarily bring anything new to the table. It's not one that has to be seen in theaters but if you would like to see it then I would advise against it.

Rating: 6.3 out of 10

Power Rangers Review

     Go Go Power Rangers! That was a term that heavily ruled my childhood. I was a huge fan of the old TV shows and the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie. When Lionsgate announced that they would be doing a new movie, I was very eager to see what type of film they would bring. I enjoyed most of the trailers but my biggest worry was that cheesiness from the original series would not fit well on the big screen today. Although it is far from a perfect movie, Power Rangers is a delightful film with a great blend of nostalgia and a story that will appeal to a new, younger generation.

     What's intriguing about this movie is how it's almost two separate movies. The first being the team setup and training, while the second is their action piece. The setup was something that pleasantly surprised me. The team dynamic is really easy to buy into because of the cast. The standout is RJ Cyler as the Blue Ranger. RJ caught my attention in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and continues to show off his comedic chops in Power Rangers. The guy is fantastic. Some other standouts include Dacre Montgomery as the Red Ranger. They could have very easily made him just a stereotypical jock but he was actually a very well layered character with a great on-screen presence. I was not necessarily on board with Ludi Lin as the Black Ranger until around the second act when we got a little more depth to his character. There are also some really good performances from Bryan Cranston as Zordon and Naomi Scott as the Pink Ranger.

     The performance that took me out of the movie was Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa. At first I was very intrigued because the director, Dean Israelite, portrayed her almost as this horror like figure at the beginning of the film. Unfortunately though it seemed to me she was a little over the top when she was delivering dialogue. Although she is miles more tamed then the Rita Repulsa in the original show, for me I felt they missed the mark to make her a great villain.

     I am not sure that this film will necessarily appeal to older people who were not a fan of the original show but fans of the old show and younger generations will really enjoy this movie. It blends nostalgia with an up to date story very well. Once we see the Rangers all suited up for the first time, that's when the influence of the older show is really on display. The pacing for this film is pretty good, although they probably could have cut around 20 minutes from the second act and thrown that into the third. The third act is satisfying that is definitely trying to appeal to the older fans. Although the fighting action isn't the best, it's solid and gets the job done. There are also some glaring plot holes within the story but that doesn't take away from the movie too much.
     This movie is far from perfect but is actually a delightful surprise. I think fans of the original will love this movie and I am hoping it will attract some new fans along the way. It's not necessarily a film you have to see in theaters but I hope you do because I would love to see sequels for this property.

Rating: 6.8 out of 10

   

Beauty and the Beast Review

     It's a tale as old as time but this is Disney's newest live adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. Disney has kind of been all over the place with their live adaptations from previous animated films. Some not so good while others such as Cinderella and The Jungle Book have really stuck well with the fans. So when Disney announced they would be adapting the 1991 Best Picture nom, Beauty and the Beast, audiences were eager to see how the studio would go about this classic. Fortunately not only is the live adaptation of Beauty and the Beast a great retelling of the original, animated film but also expands upon the story in a truly magical way.
     This is a star studded cast and they definitely deliver. The standout is Luke Evans who plays the handsome, egocentric villain, Gaston. Every time he is on screen, audiences are sure to get in a good laugh. He is not the only comedic superstar though. Josh Gad stars as his clingy sidekick LeFou and is quite the delight.

     The most credit for their performances though should go to Emma Watson and Dan Stevens for their performances of Belle and the Beast. If audiences do not buy into their performances and their love dynamic then this movie does not work at all. They are two of the most famous Disney characters of all time and Disney definitely delivered on the casting. The look of the Beast was something that kind of concerned me going into the movie and while it takes sometime for audiences to adjust to it, Stevens helps to add life to this CGI beast. The visual effects artists definitely could of tinkered with the character a lot more but it is serviceable.

     This is a musical and all the actors do very well on beloved classic songs such as Belle, Be Our Guest, and Beauty and the Beast. But they also add some new songs that don't quite resonate as well as the original songs but definitely help to serve to the story. The supporting cast includes Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, and many more that help add phenomenal performances for the film.
     The story is very beat for beat with the original, animated film with a few new additions. Without getting into spoilers, there's a certain aspect explored in Belle's story that helps the story and gives audiences a much better understanding of the character.
     I am not sure if this is the adaptation that should have been at the top of Disney's list but it is definitely one that will leave audiences smiling upon exiting the theater. This formula of retelling the originals while expanding upon them at the same time is something that hardcore Disney fans will greatly appreciate. This film is going to be a Box Office juggernaut that fans will probably go to multiple viewings.

Rating: 8.7 out of 10